Venezuela is sending its first crude oil shipment to Israel in several years after the country’s oil exports reopened following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, 63, by U.S. forces in January.
The shipment is en route to Haifa-based Bazan Group, the nation’s largest crude processor, Bloomberg News reported.
According to data analytics firm Kpler, this would be the first Venezuelan oil sale to Israel since mid-2020, when it imported about 470,000 barrels.
The reported deal comes as Venezuela’s oil sector has begun diversifying buyers following Maduro’s ouster. Until recently, much of Venezuelan crude was sold to China. In the past month, shipments reportedly have also been directed to buyers in India, Spain and the United States, according to Bloomberg.
On Jan. 3, the United States conducted a military raid on Caracas, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. On Jan. 5, Maduro pleaded not guilty to cocaine importation, weapons possession and “narco-terrorism” charges in a U.S. federal court in lower Manhattan, where he will stand trial.
“Maduro and his co-conspirators have, for decades, partnered with some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narco-terrorists in the world, and relied on corrupt officials throughout the region, to distribute tons of cocaine to the United States,” according to the indictment.
The indictment charges 15 others, including Maduro’s wife.
